Satoru walked through the dimly lit, crumbling hallways of the abandoned pizzeria. Dust swirled around his feet with each step, and the faint flicker of a dying neon sign outside cast eerie shadows along the walls.
But he wasn't afraid.
With Infinity always active, nothing could touch him.
His sharp, sky-blue eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for traces of cursed energy. His father had sent him here on a mission, and he intended to complete it—not just for himself but also for his dad.
If this were the same cold, distant Seijuro from before, Satoru wouldn't have cared as much about impressing him. But now, things were different. He wanted to make his papa proud—to prove that all of his father's training wasn't wasted.
"I'll make you proud, Dad," Satoru muttered under his breath, determination flickering in his eyes.
He continued forward, cautiously navigating the debris-covered floor.
Eventually, he stepped into what was once a dining area. Long tables and overturned chairs lay scattered across the space. Torn banners hung limply from the walls, their faded colors barely visible under layers of dust. Cone-shaped party hats and ripped confetti littered the ground, remnants of celebrations long since forgotten.
Satoru frowned.
"This place... it was supposed to be happy."
Yet now, it was nothing but a graveyard of memories.
Then, suddenly—
"...Help me."
Satoru's entire body tensed.
His head snapped toward the source of the voice.
It was faint—almost lost in the silence—but he definitely heard it.
"Someone else is here?"
His brows furrowed as he followed the sound deeper into the room. Stepping cautiously over broken tables and collapsed furniture, he navigated toward the voice, his heartbeat steady but his mind alert.
And then, he saw him.
A boy—around his own age—sat curled up against a crumbling wall. His knees were pulled to his chest, his arms wrapped around himself. He was trembling, his small frame shaking in fear.
The boy had medium-length black hair, messy and unkempt. His face was hidden against his knees, but soft whimpers escaped from him.
Satoru hesitated.
He had never encountered another kid like him before. His whole life, he had been surrounded by adults—his father, the clan, and now Jin and Kaori. He wasn't exactly sure how to approach someone his age.
But one thing was clear—his father had always taught him to help those in need.
Satoru slowly stepped forward.
"Uhm... are you okay?" he asked, his voice uncertain but gentle.
The boy flinched at the sound of Satoru's voice. Slowly, he lifted his face, revealing a pair of teary black eyes filled with fear.
"N-No..." he stammered.
Satoru swallowed. He wasn't good at emotional stuff, but he knew what his father would do.
So, he extended his hand.
"Let me help you."
The boy stared at the offered hand, his lip trembling. After a brief hesitation, he reached out and grasped it. His grip was weak, shaky, but Satoru held firm and pulled him up to his feet.
The boy was still trembling.
"...T-Thank you..." he whispered.
Satoru nodded, letting go of his hand. "Uhh, what are you doing here?"
The boy sniffled. "M-My friends and I... we snuck in here to explore, b-but then... the monsters appeared. They chased us..."
Satoru's brows knitted together. "Monsters?"
The boy nodded, fear returning to his eyes. "They looked like... robots. A brown bear, a purple bunny, and a yellow chicken."
Satoru frowned.
"That's weird."
He had seen plenty of cursed spirits before, but nothing quite like that.
Before he could ask more—
"RAHHH!"
A deafening roar shattered the silence.
The boy yelped and immediately hid behind Satoru.
Satoru snapped his gaze toward the sound—his expression still calm, but now sharp and focused.
From the darkness, a massive figure emerged.
Its metallic frame was grotesquely twisted, its once-smooth surface now corroded and jagged. Its head, shaped like a purple rabbit, had deep cracks running along its jaw, exposing wires and decayed components beneath.
Its eyes were hollow, glowing faintly with a sickly yellow hue.
The cursed spirit loomed before them, its aura pulsating with negative energy.
Satoru analyzed its cursed energy—calculating its strength.
Grade 3.
His lips curled slightly.
"Weak."
The boy behind him shook violently.
"T-That's it... t-the thing that attacked us..." he whimpered.
Satoru didn't take his eyes off the cursed spirit.
His expression was unreadable, but deep inside—he was almost disappointed.
This wouldn't even be a challenge.
Satoru smirked. "Don't worry, this will be easy."
The cursed spirit roared, its distorted metallic voice echoing through the abandoned pizzeria.
"RAHH!"
Without hesitation, the purple rabbit animatronic lunged at him, its jagged, claw-like fingers stretching forward, aiming to tear him apart.
—But it froze.
An invisible force held it in place, stopping it inches away from Satoru's, face.
The cursed spirit trembled, its grotesque body straining against an unseen barrier. Its hollow, yellow-glowing eyes flickered erratically, as if in distress.
Satoru's smirk widened. "Can't touch me, huh?"
His Infinity was active. It was impossible for this thing to lay a finger on him.
The cursed spirit growled in frustration, its body twitching as it struggled to move forward—but it was as if space itself refused to let it advance.
Behind Satoru, the black-haired boy stared in shock.
'What's happening?' The boy thought. 'The monster had stopped as if it had hit an invisible wall. Was it some kind of magic?'
Satoru tilted his head, raising his hand and pointing his index finger toward the trapped spirit.
"Alright, I'm getting bored. Let's wrap this up."
His Six Eyes glowed faintly as he channeled cursed energy into his fingertip. A faint, swirling blue aura flickered into existence.
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue."
A small orb of compressed energy, vibrating intensely, appeared at the tip of his finger.
Then—
—BOOM.
A sudden gravitational force erupted, pulling everything in the immediate vicinity toward the orb.
The cursed spirit's body was sucked forward violently, its metal limbs twisting and warping as it was dragged toward the point of impact.
Satoru casually flicked his wrist.
The orb expanded.
In an instant, the cursed spirit was crushed.
Its entire body imploded upon itself, crumpling like a soda can under immense pressure. The force of destruction drowned the shriek it let out.
—BOOM.
The impact sent a shockwave through the dining hall, toppling chairs and tables, kicking up dust and debris.
When the smoke cleared—
—there was nothing left.
The cursed spirit had been completely erased.
Satoru lowered his hand, rolling his shoulders as if he had just finished stretching. "Hah... too easy."
Behind him, the black-haired boy's mouth hung open in disbelief.
"...W-What...was that?"
Satoru turned around and grinned. "That? That was Blue. Pretty cool, huh?"
The boy swallowed, his knees shaking. "A-Amazing..."
Satoru smirked, feeling a sense of satisfaction. "Dad's definitely gonna be proud of me now." He muttered.
The boy suddenly stepped forward, his face inches from Satoru's. His black eyes sparkled with determination.
"Can you teach me that!?" he asked, his voice brimming with excitement.
Satoru blinked, taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm. Instinctively, he took a slight step backward. This kid sure was bold.
"I can't do that..." he said.
The boy's excitement dimmed slightly. "W-Why...?"
Satoru folded his arms. "Well... you're not a jujutsu sorcerer—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His Six Eyes flickered as he took a closer look.
The boy had an abundance of cursed energy.
More than most people he had ever seen.
Satoru's head tilted slightly, intrigued.
"Jujutsu...what?" the boy repeated, his face scrunching up in confusion.
Satoru didn't answer right away. 'This kid... has massive CE. I wonder if Dad could train him too? Then, I wouldn't be the only kid learning jujutsu. Maybe... just maybe... I could have a friend. He thought.
A genuine smile slowly stretched across Satoru's lips.
He extended his hand. "What's your name?"
Surprised by the sudden shift, the boy blinked but answered without hesitation.
"Oh, uh... my name's Suguru. Suguru Geto."
Satoru's grin widened. "Suguru, huh?"
He grasped the boy's hand firmly.
"I'm Satoru Gojo. Nice to meet you!"
Suguru hesitated momentarily before a small, hesitant smile formed on his face. He reached out, clasping Satoru's hand in return.
And at that moment—
—the strongest duo in history was born.